Media M&A and private equity
Technical and operational due diligence for media deals
An independent read on what you are buying, before you sign. What the asset really is, what state its technology and workflows are in, what integration will cost, and where the value or the liability sits.
Technical due diligence
What the assessment covers
Financial due diligence tells you what a media business earns. It rarely tells you what its facilities, systems and supplier contracts will cost you over the next three years, or how much of the operation depends on a few people and a lot of goodwill.
I assess the asset as an operator would. That covers facilities and infrastructure, including age, condition and end-of-life commitments; supplier and managed-service contracts, including lock-in and change-of-control terms; playout, distribution and delivery arrangements; rights and metadata systems; operational resilience; and the people and skills the business depends on.
The result is a clear view of risk and of the integration cost the seller has not mentioned, written for the deal team and the investment committee rather than for engineers.
When clients call
Where this makes the difference
You are buying, and need to know what you are buying
Technical and operational due diligence on a media asset, to the deal timetable.
The deal has closed and integration starts now
A post-deal plan that turns the findings into a programme, with costs and owners.
You are an investor reviewing a portfolio company
An independent view of the operation and technology behind the numbers.
Typical output
What you get
- Operational and technical assessment
- Integration cost and risk view
- Red-flag register
- Post-deal plan
How it runs
Senior, hands-on, start to finish
- ScopeAgree the questions the deal team needs answered.
- AssessReview documents, sites, systems, contracts and people.
- ReportFindings, red flags and integration cost, in plain language.
- PlanThe post-deal plan, if you proceed.
“Sasolo Media Consulting carried out a deep dive into a media acquisition. Their review was comprehensive and clear and helped us to formulate our plans.”
Peter Watson, United Kingdom
Relevant experience
Done it, not studied it
Launching TNT Sports from BT Sport and Eurosport
Leading technical development and workflow operations for the Warner Bros. Discovery and BT joint venture that combined BT Sport and Eurosport as TNT Sports.
Read the case studySky GroupA group content supply chain and operating model for Sky
Strategy for a next-generation content supply chain across Sky UK, Sky Italia, Sky Deutschland and NOW, and the group operating model for content operations.
Read the case studyQuestions
What clients usually ask first
Will you work under our NDA?
Yes. I will work under your NDA, or my own, before anything commercially sensitive is shared.
Do you work with private equity?
Yes. Media M&A and private equity is a core part of the practice, from pre-deal assessment to post-deal integration.
Can you lead the integration after the deal?
Yes. The post-deal plan can become a programme that I lead, which means the person who identified the risks is accountable for managing them.
Other services
More ways in
Media transformation programmes
Interim programme leadership for broadcast transformation: facility builds, cloud and IP migration, playout change and merger integration, through to go-live.
How it worksContent supply chain and workflow review
An end-to-end review of how content moves from acquisition to delivery: duplicated effort, hidden cost and risk, with costed findings and a target workflow.
How it worksOperating model and technology strategy
Target operating models, costed technology roadmaps and investment business cases for broadcast and media leadership teams facing structural decisions.
How it worksLet’s talk about what needs to change
Tell me the problem in a paragraph. I will tell you honestly whether I am the right person for it. The first 30-minute call is at no charge, and under NDA if you need one.
Start a conversationOr email darren.long@sasolo.uk